functional food n.— «Too many kids are taken in by claims of health benefits in products that have been enhanced by chemical additives, including fiber, calcium, omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins. The industry calls these “functional foods,” and they sell to the tune of $27 billion a year. “It’s really a junk food dressed up to [...]read more »

adulticiding n.— «The Memphis and Shelby County Health Department will begin spraying for mosquitoes June 22. The practice, known as adulticiding, is designed to prevent potential outbreaks of the west nile virus.» —“Mosquito Spraying Begins in Shelby County” by Richard Holden WREG-TV (Memphis, Tennessee) June 22, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)read more »

prebate n.— «Malaker said one of the main reasons the plan is called the “fair tax” is because of what is called the “prebate.” The FairTax prebate is a tax rebate—paid a month in advance by the government—on purchases of items up to what the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services sets as the poverty [...]read more »

young invincible n.— «In the parlance of the health care industry, Ms. Boyd, whose case remains unresolved, is among the “young invincibles”—people in their 20s who shun insurance either because their age makes them feel invulnerable or because expensive policies are out of reach.» —“For Uninsured Young Adults, Do-It-Yourself Health Care” by Cara Buckley New York TImes Feb. 17, 2009. [...]read more »

vitamin P n.— «Considering her own history of depression—Vincent had been taking “Vitamin P” (better known as Prozac) for years—she anticipated her mental health might suffer.» —“Norah Vincent spent a year disguised as a man for her last book but the experience put her in a mental institution…cue follow-up” by Chitra Ramaswamy Scotland on Sunday (Glasgow) Jan 25, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued [...]read more »

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